95
Bella
$58
2019 Rockpile Rocky Ridge Zinfandel
Bright Bing cherry flavors meet a horse-hair bristle of tannins in this high-toned zin. The finish is clean, the alcohol well integrated into the fruit and structure, ending with a mineral puff of smoke and turned-earth humidity, lasting on stoniness. (230 cases)
94
Soda Rock
$40
2021 Alexander Valley Zinfandel (Best Buy)
Fine integration of alcohol allows this wine's fruit tannins to shine, bringing wild mushroom fruit tones and some earthy grit. A big wine, reined in by its structure, its heat tamed, its tannins refined. There's a bright raspberry flavor in the end, showing the fruit’s ripeness without heat. Wilson Artisan Wines, Soda Rock's parent, grows this fruit at two estate vineyards west of 101, the zinfandel from a site north of Healdsburg, with a contribution of petite sirah from a vineyard north of Geyserville. (400 cases)
93
Bella
$68
2021 Rockpile Rocks Edge Zinfandel
A cuddly, gentle bear hug of a zin, this wine makes me smile with the sensory bliss of its tannins, remarkable in their vinous savor and their feel—a cool well of juiciness within the stony structure. Blueberries and stones, for a grilled baby lamb chop. (155 cases)
93
Radio-Coteau
$70
2020 Sonoma Coast Lemorel Zinfandel
This lasts with the red glow of an ember, taking its alcohol and merging it into warm fruit. Dry farmed at Eric Sussman’s far-coast estate in Occidental, this wine includes fruit from zinfandel vines that date to 1946. The concentration of those old vines is immediately apparent in the wine’s flavor, which grows increasingly more detailed with a day of air, needing age to show its best. That flavor infuses the pores of the mouth with rich red plum juiciness, a pomegranate pastry note, and warm touches of chocolate in the end. (120 cases)
93
Robert Biale
$85
2021 Moon Mountain Monte Rosso Vineyard Zinfandel
Blueberry cordial scents come first, but you can dive deeper into this wine’s earthy fruit, finding juicy cranberry and rich leather notes packed into the oak. The wine holds its zinny fragrance in the end, the oak smoothing over the earthiness, then there's a lot of old-vine detail and currant intensity that lasts. (208 cases)
93
Soda Rock
$48
2021 Alexander Valley Marshall Zinfandel
Lasting detail pulverizes this wine's tannins into fruit flavor, floral, gentle and black. There's energy at the center that keeps the flavors flowing. Dark and savory, this wine's black plum and blackberry flavors are built for grilled lamb and eggplant. (200 cases)
93
Wilson
$45
2021 Dry Creek Valley Molly’s Zinfandel
Creamy-rich and smoky, this is a wine with finesse and grace. Tasting Director Corey Warren described it as “a rich river of fruit, building intensity in the structure without being pruney.” The texture is fleshy with coffee and chocolate-sweet edges to the tannins. Even as those tannins feel brisk, the wine remains gentle and comforting. (450 cases)
92
Balletto
$32
2021 Russian River Valley Zinfandel (Best Buy)
A relatively light take on Russian River Valley zin, this delivers scents of pine and spice that last through the wine’s clean cherry extract. The tannins are peppery and lightly rustic, and while there’s some dried fruit leather complexity, this holds firm and fresh overall.
92
Buena Vista Winery
$44
2021 Sonoma Valley Arpad's Selection Zinfandel
Black currant and tobacco scents run through this long and spicy zin, its lip-smacking tannins ready to imbue slow-smoked Kansas-Style BBQ with its mouthwatering spice. (407 cases)
92
Pedroncelli
$45
2021 Dry Creek Valley Bushnell Vineyard Zinfandel
A sweet, plummy red, this wine’s dry tannins are just juicy enough to still feel supple, finishing warm, with the flavor of sunbaked stone. It leaves a concentrated impression of dried red-currant fruit that holds on the breath for minutes after each sip.
92
St. Francis
$54
2019 Russian River Valley Anacleto Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel
A ripe, old-fashioned wine, this layers cherry and raspberry cordial flavors over the powerful, concentrated tannins. There’s succulent red fruit coursing through those tannins, a plush sensation that surrounds each taste.
92
V. Sattui
2021 Dry Creek Valley School House Creek Zinfandel
This is a smooth, elegant, finely integrated zin with purity to its plum flavors. It's clean rather than fresh, warm and mouthwatering, light and crisp with cranberry-scented tannins beneath a veil of alcohol. Oak shows up in the end, in a French-oak coffee and chocolate touch, not heavy but present.
91
Pedroncelli
$48
2021 Dry Creek Valley Courage Zinfandel
Tart orange-zest notes lead this clean, pleasantly vegetal zin. It's dense but there's brightness and clarity to the fruit. Some spirity warmth in the end makes the fruit taste liqueur-ish.
91
Soda Rock
$60
2021 Rockpile Reserve Zinfandel
With the warmth of melting chocolate, this is dense—it feels jammy against the tannins in the back. A hint of flamed orange zest takes on the chocolate richness in the end. (300 cases)
90
County Line
$36
2021 Sonoma Coast Zinfandel
This is Eric Sussman’s négociant label, working with purchased grapes. His 2021 zin is waxy with salty red fruit and rooty horseradish spice that kicks up its umami character. It shows some volatility, then the fruit lasts with notes of pine. (460 cases)
90
Foppiano
$30
2021 Russian River Valley Estate Zinfandel (Best Buy)
Peppery, cranberry relish scents add spice to this saturated zin. It’s big, almost sticky, but the scale of the wine will break free of that stickiness as it attaches itself to the grizzle on a steak. Mouthwatering in the end, especially with grilled beef.
90
Trione
$37
2018 Sonoma County Flatridge Ranch Zinfandel
Scents of tallow feed into this wine’s wild blueberry fruit. The blueberry scent and flavor gains clarity and presence with air. Impressive in the end. A roast beef wine.
87
Alexander Valley Vineyards
$24
2020 Sonoma County Sin Zin Zinfandel (Best Buy)
Peppery and bright, with red berry flavors, this is initially saturated by oak but the oak recedes a bit with air. What lasts is a sense of dried berries and vanillin, the wine solidly built and a little bitter.
87
Edmeades
$20
2021 Mendocino County Zinfandel (Best Buy)
Soft, gentle, creamy and rich, this has the warmth of a berry pie, with lasting spice and cola notes. A simple $20 wine for the grill this summer.
86
Kendall-Jackson
$17
2022 North Coast Vintners Reserve Zinfandel (Best Buy)
Simple red-cherry flavors have a syrup-like richness and softness. This is bloody red with some earthy notes to the alcohol. For a cookout.